Nursing Students General Students
Published Sep 21, 2010
We do.
A nurse at clinical thought this was very strange and would not refer to my teacher by her first name.
What do you call your teachers?
mkblakley07
98 Posts
I had a couple of my previous instructors on my facebook page until our college instituted a policy against. I was fond of them and wanted to keep in touch and I fully intend to re-ad them once I graduate. I can see where having a current professor on your facebook might be boundary crossing, but I don't see what's wrong with keeping in touch with past professors.
tfleuter, BSN, RN
589 Posts
We address all instructors by their first name. It is what they prefer and are comfortable with. Even when one instructor is refering to another, s/he will use first names as well. I am comfortable with this because they are. I have yet to see any signs of disrespect from any of the students. I have no problem addressing these instructors by their first names and always try to be respectful and professional at the same time.
CuriousMe
2,642 Posts
I have no problem using my instructors first names, after being invited to. I don't feel it shows any disrespect.
In the business world, I dealt with upper level management regularly. I didn't call them their academic titles, or Mr./Mrs. So & So. I called, even the President of the company, their first name, after being invited to do so. We're all adults, and know how to act respectfully without honorifics.
ShantheRN, BSN, RN
646 Posts
I agree with CuriousMe. I've used first names with all my instructors unless they specifically say "My name is Professor/Dr so and so." It's all in how you speak to people. I call the dean of our program Denise but she has my respect. At work (I'm in peds,) I'm always amused by the different ways the kids address me. It's either "nurse" (they don't differentiate between staff), Miss Shan/Shannon (for some reason the lil ones have issues pronouncing my full name lol), or they avoid names altogether. I've found the problem kids don't bother with titles. I was raised to address elders with some sort of title, though. When I'm on clinical, I always ask my patient what they preferred to be called. If the person gives permission, you should be good.
Ugh, I HATE when people shorten names! Drives me nuts. People do it to mine and it's only 2 syllables. It's one thing if we're friends, but if we just met? Take the half a second to say Shannon
Kaychell
108 Posts
We say "Mr or Mrs ____". We have one who's last name is kind of difficult so she goes by Mrs. and the 1st letter of her last name. 'Ex. Mrs. B"
healthstar, BSN, RN
1 Article; 944 Posts
Sometimes( Only the young instructors)
2ndyearstudent, CNA
382 Posts
We do.A nurse at clinical thought this was very strange and would not refer to my teacher by her first name. What do you call your teachers?
I call them whatever they call themselves. If they say, "Hello, I'm John" then I call them John. If they say, "Hello, I am Professor Moriarty" then I call them Professor Moriarty.
To date, all of my nursing instructors prefer to be addressed by their first names.
1234student
91 Posts
We call all of our teachers by their first name besides the director and one teacher who wanted to be addressed as Ms.
quetepye
65 Posts
They always introduce themselves by first names, and I've never heard a clinical instructor be called differently!
radox
4 Posts
During my basic training we called all of our instructors by title, but as a post registration student most tutors introduce themselves as what they wish to be called, usually first names. In basic I had to take a stand when tutors adressed others as Nurse hername and me as Mr Myname. I insisted that if one is Nurse then we all are nurses!
nursedora
105 Posts
Even though I'm an older nurse, I don't call instructors by their first names, even if they are younger than me, giving the respect to their title, unless they tell me to call them by their first name.
shlay51
51 Posts
I went to a small school so we only had two instructors. Both their first names were Marsha (one spelled Marsha the other Marcia). When we talked amongst ourselves we referred to them by their last names and even when we talked to the other instructor about the other one we called them by last names. When actually addressing them we usually used their first name, sometimes their last. Both didn't really care what we called them. We were such a small group that we got to know each other so well that it was more uncomfortable to call them Mrs. XYZ instead of by their first or last name. Even the staff at the hospitals referred to them either by their first name or their last name.